


The Heart of the Unicorn

by Fire_Bear



Series: FrUK Spring Festival 2k16 [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Elves, F/M, FrUK Spring Festival 2k16, Immortality, M/M, Magic-Users, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, The Enchanted Forest, Unicorns, day3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-08 02:04:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6834571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Francis didn't mean to go into the enchanted forest but he found the love of his life. Unfortunately, she's a water nymph with no intention of paying attention to humans and their short lifespans. But, if there's a way to become immortal... </p>
<p>When things go wrong, Francis can only turn to the guardian of the forest for help. But will he help?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heart of the Unicorn

**Author's Note:**

> This became really dark. I swear, this was meant to be just two guys meeting in a forest, one of them a magician, the other some sort of mythical/magical creature and being in love - _and then this happened_.
> 
> The mild gore is at the end and there's not much detail so.
> 
> Also... I tried to make the summary vague otherwise I'd just be telling you exactly what happens so I'm sorry if this isn't what you expect.

Against all his parents' warnings, Francis had approached and entered the enchanted forest. It was said that it belonged to magical beings of such majesty that all who entered were cowed. A lot of them never came back at all: those that did never returned whole. However, it was close to where Francis and his parents lived and, on the other side of the village was a normal woodland, safe to travel through. So, when Francis had been travelling through a storm and came to what he thought was the safe woodland between his home and the market he had been attending, he entered without thought.

He knew his mistake instantly for the rain stopped reaching him. But he could not turn around and it was already too late. He could hear someone singing in the rain and see movement ahead, lit by flashes of lightning. When he approached, he was surprised to find himself staring at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

She had long, black hair which fell across tanned shoulders. A large smile was on her face and her eyes sparkled despite it being dark. The woman was naked and fully comfortable being in the water and Francis instantly began to lust after her, as so many men before him had done. There was a difference with Francis, however.

Where most men engaged in carnal acts and left, never to be the same again, Francis returned as much as possible, constantly daydreaming about the water nymph that had ensnared him so. Soon, she had stolen his heart as well and he could not rest without seeing her. His parents grew worried but he snapped at them and they left him alone, terrified of losing their son if they pushed too much.

But there was a problem; the water nymph wasn't interested in Francis. Humans had such short life spans and she had no desire to watch Francis fade away. Devastated, Francis returned home and thought. If he could somehow figure out a way to become immortal as well, perhaps she would accept him. So he packed his bags and set off on a quest to find answers. Over hill and glen, he travelled, consulting all the wizards and warlocks and sorcerers in the land. They taught him their magic but it only worked for so long: magic-users could still die of old age, it only took a longer than those who didn't practise magic. He turned to the books and scrolls of knowledge along the way where he learnt a great deal.

And, finally, Francis found his solution. Apparently, in forests such as the one he had met his water nymph in, there were unicorns. If a person caught a unicorn, it would grant them a wish. Ecstatic, Francis dropped everything and travelled back to the forest. Using his new magic knowledge, he laid traps for a unicorn.

For five days and nights, he watched over the trap. He was beginning to think he would have to try laying them somewhere else when, thankfully, on the night of the sixth day, it happened. A silver glow came through the trees and the majestic creature emerged from the foliage. The horn was long and sharp. Its coat was such a beautiful, shining white that Francis was almost blinded. He thought it more beautiful than the nymph. Then it stepped in the loop of the snare and there was a flash of his own golden magic. With a dismayed neigh, it reared up and, even as Francis internally celebrated, the unicorn collapsed. Its coat dimmed and the horn seemed to shrink. Francis stared at it in shock before gathering himself enough to rush to its side.

As he sat there in the clearing, his heart breaking for the poor creature, Francis slowly realised that there was sunshine coming through the trees. He looked up, confused; the sun had already set so where was this light coming from? That was when the figure stepped through the trees and, deftly avoiding all the other traps laid out, made his way to Francis.

The person was a man with messy blond hair. There were twigs and leaves and flowers stuck in it- No, they were _woven_ into his hair. Poking through his hair were a pair of pointed ears. His clothes were flimsy and shimmering, flowing around him in such a way that Francis couldn't tell whether he was wearing a tunic or a simple shirt and trousers. But his eyes... They were visible even from a distance, a bright green with oddly shaped pupils.

Francis could only gape at the appearance of the elf.

Ignoring Francis, the elf moved to the side of the unicorn and placed a hand on its head, just above the horn. There was a flash of something, a magic so pure it had no colour, and the elf straightened again. He turned his attention to Francis, looking him over.

“You killed him,” the elf said.

“I-I didn't- How-?” Francis stuttered, unsure how to speak to someone so ethereal.

“When a unicorn is caught, it is no longer pure. It dies instantly.”

“I-I didn't know,” Francis cried, heart sinking. How could he have done this to something so beautiful?

“You should have done more research instead of rushing back here,” said the elf.

Surprised, Francis scrambled to his feet. “Wha-? How did you know?”

“I am the guardian of this forest. I make sure no humans can sully this place, though I am not sure how much longer I will be able to do this.”

“Is that why no-one ever returns?” Francis asked.

“Usually,” he answered. “Though, sometimes, they meet the wrong person. You... You are an odd one.”

“Me?”

“Your own, buried, magical power is strong enough to shirk my enticements. Normally magic users stay out of enchanted forests as they know what can happen in them so I was surprised someone with so much power had wandered in. I was unable to snare your attention, to draw you to my realm, and I was unable to repel you when you returned.”

Proud of himself, Francis smirked. “So humans are becoming more powerful that something like you?”

“But no less ruthless,” the elf replied, gesturing to the dead unicorn. Francis winced and shook his head, preparing to protest. He fell silent when the elf held up a hand for silence; Francis felt incapable of finding words in that moment and wondered if the elf was using some sort of magic, more powerful than his own untapped reserves. “It does not matter if you did not intend to kill this poor creature. You have done so and now you are cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“It is true that unicorns grant wishes, even if they die. However, because something so pure has been killed, the wish will come with a negative.”

“What do you mean?”

The elf smiled, not unkindly, though it still sent fearful shivers down Francis's spine. “As you have done this for matters of the heart, it will affect your future relationships.”

“How exactly...?” Francis began but he trailed off, not sure he wanted to know.

“You stole the unicorn's heart,” the elf explained. “Your wish has been granted and you are now immortal – but the same cannot be said of your loved ones.”

Francis gasped. “They aren't dead, are they?” he asked, stepping closer to the elf. “Were they sacrificed for my immortality?”

He shook his head. “No, but they will not survive being loved by you and your false heart.”

“It is not false!” Francis protested.

“It is not your heart,” the elf countered. “You will come to understand what you have done in your foolishness with time. I shall leave you to it.” The elf turned to go, entirely dismissive of Francis now he had conveyed his message.

“Wait!” cried the man, hurrying around the body of the unicorn. “Wait!”

Although Francis had not expected the elf to listen, he paused and turned slightly to look at Francis over his shoulder. “If you ever have need to speak to someone in the far future, call for me.” With that, the elf walked off, disappearing into the trees.

“I don't know your name!” Francis called after the elf as the light faded and darkness returned to the forest.

His voice came back to Francis on a light, summer breeze – a contrast to the autumn scenery Francis was standing in. “Arthur,” was the answer.

* * *

After his encounter with Arthur, Francis turned to the body of the unicorn. He intended to bury the magical being but had barely thought that when the unicorn dissolved. Its body broke into little glowing particles before drifting away in the wind. All that was left was the horn. So Francis buried that before making his way to his camp.

In the morning, he made his way out of the forest, a feeling of dread hanging over him. However, as he passed through the glade where his lovely nymph stayed, he was spotted by her. She knew somehow that he was now immortal and was the one to approach him, curious. Seeing her come to him, Francis's heart filled with joy and he forgot about the curse hanging over him.

It was to be his undoing.

After spending several days with his love, he left to visit his parents, promising to return to the nymph as soon as possible. It didn't upset him when she was unconcerned about how long he would be, believing that she knew he would return since he had gained immortality. When he reached his village, however, the neighbours stopped him and informed him that his parents had taken ill a few days prior and died. Distraught, he went to the funeral and then stayed in the village to sort out the family's affairs. Then he returned to the forest.

As it turned out, he was too late. Though nymphs are immortal, water nymphs are tied to the water source they come from. If the water is diverted in any way, the nymph moves as well. Sometimes they even change completely and, when Francis finally found her again, her memories had faded. She did not welcome him and even chased him off, anger clear in her snarling face. Francis's heart broke but he realised that she was essentially dead to him and left.

So he began travelling, searching for somewhere to belong. In a bustling city, he met Jeanne, a young barmaid who was faithful to her god. He fell in love with her and tried to woo her but she was not to be distracted from the love for her god. He had to make do with loving her from a distance as he settled down in the city, using his magical powers to open a bakery on his own. When a fire burned through the city and destroyed several buildings, including Jeanne's modest lodgings and the woman herself, Francis almost couldn't believe it.

Nursing his broken heart, he moved on. He fell in love multiple times, with men and women alike. Each time, they would die before their time, either from illness or a violent death. Each time, none of them would love him back. The years passed and, soon, Francis realised quite what his curse was. Immortality was not as amazing as he had thought it was, not alone and with everyone he cared about dying. Unable to die himself, his heart aching, Francis made his way back to the forest.

Somehow, the forest seemed smaller: it may have had something to do with the new buildings encroaching on its space. He passed the village by: there were too many memories that he was loathe to dredge up. Entering the forest, he waited until he was further inside to begin calling on Arthur.

There was no immediate answer and Francis wandered for days, always heading towards the sun as if using the light would guide him to the elf. By the time he realised he was walking in circles, he was beginning to think that Arthur had disappeared, too. Was he truly alone? With tears flowing, Francis crashed blindly through the trees, unsure what else to do.

“If you sit down, I can give you something to drink,” said a familiar voice from behind him. Francis spun around to find Arthur sitting on the root of a huge tree he hadn't noticed in his blundering. His legs were crossed and he held a delicate cup made out of the pink petals of a flower. Arthur took a sip, watching Francis. “I wondered how long it would take you to come back,” he said.

“Thank the gods,” sighed Francis, stumbling towards Arthur. He stopped at the root, leaning against it and towards Arthur. “Please. Please help me. You must know how to remove this curse.”

“There is only one way,” Arthur told him, impassively. “You will not like it.”

“No, please. I need your help. Please do it!”

For a moment, Arthur didn't move, unimpressed. Then he set aside the cup, stood up and stepped towards Francis. Eager to get it over with, Francis straightened and watched Arthur closely, observing the way his clothes rippled over his pale skin and the surprisingly thick eyebrows. The elf raised a hand and placed it on Francis's chest, right over his heart.

“You stole the unicorn's heart,” said Arthur. “So, to get rid of the curse, you must have yours stolen.”

“What do you mean?” asked Francis, frowning. “I've fallen in love plenty of times.”

“No, you willingly gave your heart away to others. This time, it will be stolen.”

A sudden pain cut through Francis's chest. He gasped and staggered forward a little; Arthur pushed him upright again. Then he pulled his hand away and Francis felt as though he had been dunked in an icy lake. Panting, he watched with wide eyes as Arthur revealed a heart.

“What-?” Francis managed to say before Arthur squeezed.

As he squeezed the heart, it began to shrink. The cold Francis felt was swept away replaced by a feeling of warmth and comfort. With it, the shock of the situation faded. Instead, Francis found himself noticing the combination of greens in Arthur's eyes, the way his brow furrowed as he concentrated on the magic he was using, the aura Francis could now see around him, pure and sweet. Love for the elf, so much stronger than his previous loves, engulfed everything and Francis finally felt at peace for the first time since he had entered the forest all those years ago.

Shrinking further, the heart was soon out of sight. Francis watched as Arthur opened his hand to reveal a silver heart-shaped locket attached to a fine, silver chain. He held it out to Francis who slowly took it. When Arthur turned his back on him, Francis looped the chain around the elf's neck and fastened it. Arthur turned back to Francis and, for the first time, Arthur smiled at him. Holding out his hand, Arthur spoke.

“Come meet my people,” he said.

Francis nodded and took his hand. Before Arthur could pull him away, Francis lifted the hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, bashfully looking up at Arthur through his lashes. Arthur's smile grew and he tugged Francis along as he walked into the sunlight that shouldn't have been there. Francis was glad to go, no longer alone.

 


End file.
